Love to see...

Ali....dang! COOOOL!!!
see...you are such a good designer. DUDE!
i still have yet to make a banner i am totally in love with...
We should issue a banner challenge...
this ROCKS.
oh, here's my tip: bake something in the oven on the day of open house, like cinnamon rolls. I never knew realtors did that to make the house smell...homey.
ha!

Not a open house pro, per say, but a few tips: empty trash cans that are exposed (ie bathroom trash, etc--but I bet you already have), keep counter-tops clutter-free (again, bet you already have) and just follow the general rule of a place for everything and everything in its place. Digging the new banner.

Cool Banner!!
I just changed mine but it still seems the same.
Re-reading you book today, such cool stuff. I am loveing the friends layout of you and Amy. After Mother's Day projects (yet to be started) I must do something like it. Happy open house! If you don't want to bake something, a pot of simmer water on the stove with mullling spices does the trick too.

coolness! since my name starts with the same initial i can totally scraplift this can't i ??? gorgeous!

My suggestion was going to be yankee candles in a yummy homemade smell...slightly easier than actually baking! :)
Cool new banner, too!

Hey Ali,
Best of luck with the open house. My suggestions are to keep the house light and bright with all of your curtains wide open and adding a flower arrangement, just more tulips, makes a house a home. I have also read that removing personal items, such as pictures frames, makes your home less personal and easier for a buyer to envision as their home.
Have a good weekend.

I was going to tell you that you're supposed to bake bread but they beat me to it. If I were wanting to buy a house, I'd be much more likely to pay them anything they wanted if they baked chocolate chip cookies and let me eat them :)Also, it would help if, say, Brad Pitt happened to stroll through the house.

keep an empty laundry basket and when someone calls and wants to come over, throw everything that is randomly hanging out on counters, stairs, beds, into that basket and throw it in your car with your kid and your dogs. :)
dont know if anyone else said this-but lights on, ceiling fans on. blinds open.

you need to teach me how to do that handwriting as jpg thing you do. i want that.

Hi Ali,
I put a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies out on the counter for "lookers" and also had popourri (sp?) simmering in one of those electric pots - gingerbread scent. Who knows if that really had anything to do with it, but we had a full asking price offer in less than 2 days and our house wasn't anything that would've knocked your socks off. I've read alot about smell and how powerful its effect is on ones memory. Give it a try, who knows?
Good luck!
Michelle

I love it when people change up their banners...but I'm cheap...I have the $4 a month cheaper plan...for now ;) LOL!
Cathy's idea on the baking is one I have heard a lot of :)
Good luck with your open house!

Love the new banner!!!
I have got to figure out how to redo mine.....that has been a definite frustration in the blog world......:)

I had also heard to turn all the lights on, even lamps.
My realtor put together a book about the house and left it on the table. It included previous utility and tax bills. That way the prospective buyer can get a feeling for the cost of home-ownership.
Also, I heard to take away ANYTHING that implies a pet lives there. No food, water bowls, leashes, etc. Some people are grossed out by the thought animals in the house, others may think the pet will bother their allergies - whether it does or not.
Good Luck!

Fresh is right. Your banner is super cool. I love changing mine. Too bad that PS is not my forte. Working on that, slowly but surely. Are those flowers fabric?
Good luck on your open house. I am so not the person to be giving tips on stuff like this. But knowing you it will be perfect!!!

No tips, but wanted to say how much I love your new banner. So colorful! :D

I didn't read the other responses, but I've been thru this a few times. Heh.
1. Put all personal items away - especially in the bathrooms. In cabinets is fine.
2. Turn on all the lights, unless the room is bright enough from the sun. This includes under-cabinet lighting, bathrooms, etc.
3. Play soft classical background music.
4. If someone will be there the whole time, burn a candle - apple or apple pie. That scent makes people think of home.
5. OR, bake something so the house smells yummy. Chocolate chip cookies (that you can leave out), an apple pie, apple crisp. Things that make people feel at home.
6. Remove photos where you can. I know that'll be HARD, but it's hard for someone to feel at home in your house when they're looking at the faces of those leaving it.
7. Set dressing. Set the dining or sitting room table, place fresh flowers on a buffet, etc. It'll be obvious to the browsers that you're trying hard...but they'll appreciate the effort. We were *always* most interested in the houses where people made the extra effort.
8. If you have the time, take your own photos of the inside of the house - I know you have a ton of gorgeous photos - create a sheet or a booklet of them, and print a bunch of copies for people to take. Your photos are *always* better than the ones the realtors take.
And, finally, don't be too disappointed if you don't get an offer. Open Houses are notorious for "looky-loos" - people in your neighborhood who want to see inside your house, people who go out on the weekends JUST to look in other houses for ideas, etc.
Phew, sorry to be so long winded!

Oh love that banner Ali! It is the coolest. Need to redo mine now. Good luck on the open house... great suggestions above. I have heard of boiling cinnamon sticks before... easy to do as well.
Shelley

Don't know if you've ever heard of this- but if you bury a medal or a small statue of St. Joseph in your yard (make sure he's face up)that is supposed to help you sell your home fast. I know lots of people who've done this and it worked! :)

Pshawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww on the Fresh man! :P I am actually afraid to change my banner- I downgraded to the cheaper version and I am afriad I'll lose it I try to change it- shhhhhhhhhh don't tell typepad :P

Love the new banner! I love your blog... I read it every day. I love to hear your perspective on everything and anything. I'm going to do a cartwheel this weekend! =0) Take care!!